When trying to put tires on my brand new Reynolds AR46 Pro rims, my lever slipped off twice. Only after the second time I noticed that it had damaged the rim.
It seems pretty fucked to me, but a few things that I hope you guys can help with:
– Is this something a carbon repair shop could fix?
– Is it normal that damaging the rim happens this easily when using tire levers to put on a tire?
– How does one prevent this from happening? I have really tried everything in terms of putting on tires without levers, but I really have no clue how one does that
by Sufficient_Ebb_7712
18 Comments
That’s fucked and trash. See if whoever you bought them from will return them. Also, how were you trying to use the tire lever? You’re supposed to lever at the edge of the rim, not the middle. And you work from the outside in, not right from the middle of the tire.
That rim is done. Carbon repair is not a good idea on carbon rims. If you bought from an authorized seller talk to them/reynolds, reynolds has a crash replacement program and (when I was last selling reynolds a year ago) it’s about 250$ + shipping to get it replaced.
With it being so new they might offer fully free (not including shipping) replacement. I’ve had them do that a few times for customers.
Absolutely repairable, carbon is pretty easy to fix these days if you take it to someone who knows what they’re doing. You’re probably looking at a several hundred dollar cost so it might be worth looking into working out a crash replacement for the single wheel.
[Reynolds](https://hayesbicycle.com/pages/warranty). See what the “crash” replacement price is and go from there. I wouldn’t ride that as is.
Bummer.
Fucked.
Yes
So I can learn, would you show me how you used the lever? Maybe a photo of it?
You’re the perfect candidate for someone to have a close relationship with a mechanic. (Nice way of saying you shouldn’t be working on your own bike)
As others have said, that rim is dead. Reynolds does have great customer service though, so hopefully they have something palatable to offer.
Whenever possible, avoid using tire levers on carbon rims at all costs. Stretch the tire a bit, leave it in the sun if you have to, but tire levers of all materials are known to have this effect on carbon rims. The Kool Stop tire bead jack is the right tool if your tire is too tight to do by hand, it pushes down on the rim instead of outwards to get leverage.
If you bought them recently check your credit card purchase protection – may replace your rim for free…
How? Just , how?
We are missing the point here- it shouldn’t be possible to damage a carbon rim like that with plastic tire levers. If that’s the case, these may have been defective and they may replace for free. Possibly already cracked? I would go through the warranty process, even if user error this seems very atypical to me. My two cents.
Replace the rim, I wouldn’t trust a carbon patch
https://youtube.com/shorts/y8D8vzi-IKc
Are you using a metal tire lever? Those are a no-go on carbon rims. Pedro’s plastic levers will break before you break your wheel.
Tire levers are for taking off tires.
Is this part of the rim even structual? I always assumed it was not and just for areo. I don’t know tho.